Mark Tatum: In phase one, our plan is Spain, UK, France, Italy, Germany, maybe Turkey and Greece

Mark Tatum, NBA deputy commissioner, has made some important statements about the NBA Europe project. Many confirmations, some revelations.

ON THE TIMELINE

“Our goal is to launch in the next two years. We hired JP Morgan and Rain as advisors, and they are working hard to refine our model. We had already talks with local stakeholders and now we are taking the next step”.

ON THE OBJECTIVES

“By finding the right partners, they will invest more money in the sport and not only in the league, but in academies, arenas, and that will bring more resources to the sport of basketball”.

ON THE PURPOSE

“The reason we are doing this is not primarily commercial. Basketball is the No. 2 sport in Europe, and you see in the EuroLeague, there are no permanent franchises in the UK, Paris, Rome, or Berlin. The league is not open to all clubs in Europe”.

ON THE COUNTRIES INVOLVED

“In phase one, our plan is Spain, UK, France, Italy, Germany, maybe Turkey, and maybe Greece. But there will be some open spots in the ecosystem, so in the early phase they will be able to qualify”.

ON THE FUTURE

“We do believe that there’s a place for every club in Europe to be included in our ecosystem, and we will continue to work with EuroLeague and FIBA and see if we can come to a solution, because ultimately it’s about serving the fan”.

ON THE NEGOTIATIONS